Near the end of the year, students at Hatboro-Horsham High School in Horsham, Pennsylvania were sent an email by an anonymous person.

An official said:

"The legality of it is pretty serious."

Authorities first thought that the school computer system had been compromised. FBI forensics experts were called in. They tested the system for hacking, and since they found no evidence of unauthorized entry, they were convinced that the perpetrator obtained the information from someone who had legitimate access.

In fact, the email said:

"This document has been compiled with the help of some esteemed staff members."

If the email was sent as a misguided senior prank, and the perpetrator was a graduating student, it was feared that the perp might escape being disciplined by the school.

However, a school official said:

"We certainly will enthusiastically prosecute or at least ask the courts to prosecute. I wouldn't want to be that individual."

Some students received the message on their smart phones while eating lunch, and passed the phone around the table to see if they were listed in the email.

Some vowed that the message would not change their behavior, while others were not so sure.

What was in the illegal email?

It was a spreadsheet that listed nearly every student in the school. Next to each student's name was the following information: the student's class rank and grade point average.